Saint Joseph Catholic Church
29119 Point Lookout Road
P.O. Box 175
Morganza, Maryland 20660
Phone: 301-475-3293 Fax: 301-475-0491
E-Mail: stjosephmorganza@yahoo.com
Website: www.stjosephmorganza.org
Father Keith A. Woods, Pastor
Deacon James A. Somerville – Deacon John Walter Somerville
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 6, 2015
CCD Information – Please contact the Rectory Office
Parish Secretary – Mrs. Mary C. Wood
Saturday Evening Mass:
5:00 p.m.
Sunday Masses:
8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Weekday Masses:
8:00 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
Confessions:
4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday
Baptisms:
Please call the Rectory to make arrangements. Parents must be practicing
Catholics in this Parish or able to provide a letter of permission from the
the proper parish for Baptism here. Godparents, if not St. Joseph
parishioners, must provide a letter that they meet the requirements: a
practicing Catholic, at least 16 years old, have received Baptism, Confirmation,
and First Communion and, if married, in a marriage recognized by the Catholic
Church. A baptized non-Catholic may serve as a Christian witness.
Marriages:
Please call the Rectory at least six months in advance of the wedding
Sacrament of the Sick:
Those hospitalized or home-bound to receive the Sacraments, call the Rectory.
Rectory Office Hours
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
From Father Woods
The strange stained glass window
The stained glass windows in our Parish Church are magnificent. Most of them are self-explanatory: the
Sacred Heart, the Good Shepherd, the Annunciation, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Joseph. The
window that gets the most questions (and seems rather out of place) is the second window on the right
side of the Church. It depicts an angel giving Holy Communion to a young man dressed in a religious
habit. Just what is this window all about?
Saint Stanislaus Kostka was born in 1550 in Rostkow, not far from Warsaw. In 1564, at age fourteen,
Stanislaus was sent to Vienna with his older brother to complete their studies with the Jesuits. He liked
his studies and life in the college very much, and considered dedicating himself to religious life.
Unfortunately the Jesuits had to close the college and Stanislaus, his brother, and their tutor were forced
to leave, accepting the hospitality of a Lutheran nobleman.
Stanislaus maintained exemplary religious behavior, regardless of the pressures from his brother,
tutor, and host - who all criticized him. This was all accepted with patience and submission by
Stanislaus, and during the night he even prayed for them. Stanislaus belonged to the Fraternity of Saint
Barbara whose members trust their patroness to bring them Communion upon the point of death. When
as a teenager Stanislaus became very ill, he had total faith in this promise. In fact one night woke up his
tutor, who was keeping his vigil, exclaiming: “Here is Saint Barbara! Here she is, with two angels! She’s
bringing me the Blessed Sacrament!”
And so it was, the angels knelt by him and he was given Holy Communion. The young man, serene, laid
back on his bed. A few days later, to everyone’s surprise, Stanislaus awoke perfectly healed, declaring
that he wanted to go personally to thank the Lord and manifest his desire to become a religious. The
regional father of the Jesuits rejected him because of his young age and because he had no father or legal
guardian, but Stanislaus was determined and decided to immediately try Germany or even Italy. He
removed his fine clothes, put on those of a farmer, and walked towards Germany where the great Saint
Peter Canisius was provincial of the Jesuits. Noticing his absence, his brother searched for him and
began to feel remorse for his hostile conduct. Meanwhile, Saint Peter Canisius seriously evaluated the
vocation of the young man and decided to send him to the Jesuit seminary in Rome.
In his letter of recommendation of Stanislaus, he wrote: “Stanislaus, noble Pole, a just man full of zeal,
admitted for a certain time to the college of Dillingen, showed himself to always be exact in his duty and
firm in his vocation…we hope and expect great things from him.”
On the eve of the feast of Saint Lawrence, Stanislaus became ill with a high fever, and clearly saw that
his last hour had come. He wrote a letter to the Blessed Virgin begging her to call him to Heaven in time
to celebrate with her the glorious anniversary of her Assumption. His confidence in the Blessed Virgin,
which had already brought him many favors, was this time again rewarded; on 15 August, towards four
in the morning, while he was rapt in pious utterances to God, to the saints, and to the Virgin Mary, he
died. The entire city proclaimed him a saint and people hastened from all parts to venerate his remains
and to obtain, if possible, some relics. (See Wikipedia article on St. Stanislaus Kostka) He was 17 years
old.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Mass Intentions for September 7th to September 13th
8:00 a.m.
Floyd Weber
8:00 a.m.
Patricia Long (Living)
8:00 a.m.
Calvert B. “Dickie” Norris
No Mass Scheduled
8:00 a.m.
J. Imirie Rowe
8:00 a.m.
Sandra Mattingly Dyson
5:00 p.m.
Larry Taborek
8:00 a.m.
Mary Agnes “Aggie” Farrell
10:00 a.m.
Pro Populo
6:00 p.m.
Alice Imogene Rice
Mass Schedules for September 12th & September 13th
Extraordinary Ministers
Lectors
Altar Servers
Saturday – 5:00 p.m.
Paul Howe & Billy Benjamin
Matthew Quinn
Jarrett Higgs & Kaylee Pappas
Sunday – 8:00 a.m.
Jim Long & Wayne Mast
Gladys Long
Benjamin Chase
Sunday – 10:00 a.m.
Billy Johnson & George Brown
Bill Leonard
Nicholas Combs & James Ripple
Please pray for those who are sick in our parish especially Michael Adams, Mary & George Falso,
Thomas Lionel Herbert, Cheryl Herbert, Elizabeth Adams, Patricia Long, Alan Burch, Bernadette
Herbert, Christina & Benjamin Ferreira, Sarah Custer, and James Nelson.
Offertory for Sunday, August 30, 2015 - $5,406.00. Thank you for your generosity.
Volunteers are needed for our CCD program this coming year 2015-2016. We are in need of a few
teachers and aides. All teachers and aides must have Child Protection status before they can volunteer in
the classroom. We would like to start the school year with a full staff. For anyone that needs to take the
Virtus class for Child Protection, classes will be held locally at the following locations. Archbishop
Neale School in LaPlata on September 14th at 6:30 p.m. If interested, please call the rectory as soon as
possible.
Meeting for CCD Teachers and Aides - There will be a meeting for our CCD teachers and aides on
Tuesday evening, September 8th, at 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall.
St. Joseph’s Cemetery - Donations are being accepted toward the expense of grass cutting in both St.
Joseph Cemeteries. Please send your donations to St. Joseph Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 175, Morganza,
Maryland 20660.
Marriage Matters: St. John’s Parish in Hollywood, MD, is hosting a special event, “Marriage Matters:
What the Church Really Teaches About Marriage”, on Thursday, September 17 at 6:30 p.m. The event
will include a full Q & A session featuring experts from the Archdiocese of Washington. For more
information, please call 301-373-2281 or scheiberl@stjhollywood.org.
Walk with Francis – Pope Francis is coming to the Archdiocese of Washington and you are invited to
be a part of the journey by taking a pledge. Welcome Pope Francis by committing to follow his example
of faith and service. We are challenging local individuals and organizations to take the pledge to Walk
with Francis by choosing to pray or serve or act in a new way to advance his mission and ministry in the
next year. Your pledge will be presented as a gift to the Holy Father during his visit. Visit
walkwithfrancis.org to take the pledge on line. The best way to welcome Pope Francis is to
#WalkwithFrancis and share your pledge on social media.
Griefshare Support Group – Griefshare, a special seminar and support group for people grieving the
loss of someone close, and is sponsored by people who understand what you are experiencing and want
to offer you comfort and encouragement during this difficult time. Each GriefShare session includes a
video seminar and group discussion. The support group will begin on Tuesday, October 6th at
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Hall in Mechanicsville. Please call Jean Ferrante 301-8845456 or email jlg0617@comcast.net.
Annual Yard and Bake Sale – St. Francis Xavier Church in Compton will hold its annual Yard and
Bake Sale on Saturday, September 12th from 7 a.m. until noon. For more information, please call
Jacquelynn Kirby at 301-475-5060 or the Rectory at 301-475-9885.
Holy Angels Church Seafood Dinner on Sunday, September 13, 2015 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Crab
Balls, Steamed Shrimp, Fried Oysters, Fried Chicken and the trimmings. Adults - $27, Carryouts and
Advance Tickets - $25, Children 6 to 12 - $8 and Children 5 and under are free. For more information
or to purchase advance tickets call: 301-769-3332.
Fun for the whole family – The Care Net Pregnancy Center of Southern Maryland is holding its 4 th
Annual “Baby Steps Walk for Life” on September 12, 2015 from 2 to 9 p.m. at St. Mary’s Ryken High
School Track. Go to www.friendsofcnpcsm.com to register online or to print registration and sponsor
forms and more information.
St. Peter Claver Catholic Church Annual Labor Day Festival – Sunday, September 6th. Mass at 10
a.m., Dinner at 12:30 p.m. Dinner Menu – Stuffed Ham, Crab Cakes, Fried Chicken. Advance tickets
$20, Day of Event Adults $22, $15 children 12 & under, free for Children 3 years Old & Under.
High School Youth Group – sponsored by Our Lady of the Wayside Church – will begin regular
meetings beginning this September. We will meet on the second Sunday and Fourth Friday of every
month at Mother Catherine Academy from 6 to 8 p.m. If you have any questions please contact Corey
or Eli Hayden at somdyouthgroup@gmail.com.
Upcoming Events
Monday, 7 September – Parish Office closed for the Labor Day Holiday
Tuesday, 8 September through 11 September – Our Parish Secretary will be on vacation
Tuesday, 8 September – Meeting for CCD teachers and aides at 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall
Friday, 11 September – St. Vincent de Paul Meeting – 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall
Saturday, 12 September – St. Joseph Ladies Sodality Meeting after the 8 a.m. Mass in the Parish Hall
Tuesday, 15 September – CCD classes begin at Mother Catherine Academy – 6:45 to 8 p.m.
Sunday, 20 September – Donuts after Mass